A long-serving rabbi of the local Jewish community. A French citizen celebrating Hanukkah in Sydney. A Holocaust survivor.
They were among the victims of a terror attack at a Jewish celebration in Sydney on Sunday, which killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more. The authorities said on Monday that the victims ranged in age from 10 to 87.
Details are still emerging about the victims of the attack, which authorities said targeted attendees of a Hanukkah celebration held on Bondi Beach, one of Australia’s most iconic beaches.
Here’s what we know.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger
Rabbi Schlanger, the assistant rabbi in Chabad of Bondi and a key organizer of the event, was killed in the attack.
His death was confirmed by Chabad, a global organization based in Brooklyn dedicated to strengthening and enriching Jewish life by providing religious, educational, social and cultural services around the world.
The organization said in a social media post that Rabbi Schlanger had served the Bondi community as a rabbi and chaplain for 18 years, since his marriage to his wife Chaya.
The event he organized, Hanukkah by the Sea, was intended to be “the perfect family event to celebrate light, warmth, and community,” according to a social media post on Instagram.
Rabbi Schlanger had recently said that in the face of darkness, the way forward is to “be more Jewish, act more Jewish and appear more Jewish,” according to Chabad.
In 2023, he was among a delegation of rabbis who visited Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack, according to the Australian Jewish News.
Dan Elkayam
Dan Elkayam, a French citizen, was among the victims of the attack, President Emmanuel Macron said on social media on Sunday.
“It is with deep sadness that I learn of the death of our compatriot Dan Elkayam in the antisemitic terrorist attack in Sydney,” he said. “My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.” Mr. Elkayam had been celebrating Hanukkah at the event in Sydney, Chabad said in a social media post.
Alex Kleytman
Mr. Kleytman, a native of Ukraine, was killed in Sunday’s shooting, Chabad said on Sunday. A survivor of the Holocaust from Ukraine, Mr. Kleytman had attended the event with his children and grandchildren, the organization said.
He died shielding his wife, Larisa, from the gunman’s bullets, the group added. He is survived by his wife, his two children and 11 grandchildren.
Reuven Morrison
Mr. Morrison, a businessman originally from the Soviet Union, “discovered his Jewish identity in Sydney,” Chabad said. He spent his time in between Melbourne, where he and his wife moved for his daughter’s education, and Sydney, where he did business, the group added.
The Injured
Arsen Ostrovsky, who told the news media that he had moved only two weeks ago from Israel to Australia, where he will lead the Australia Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, was wounded in the attack. He said in interviews with Australian news outlets that he had seen at least one gunman “firing randomly in all directions.” A bullet grazed his head, he said later in a post on X, but added that he would make a full recovery.
Aaron Boxerman and Ségolène Le Stradic contributed reporting.
Isabella Kwai is a Times reporter based in London, covering breaking news and other trends.
The post What to Know About the Victims of the Bondi Beach Shooting appeared first on New York Times.
